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Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 6:17; Rom. 8:4; Eph. 5:18-19; Acts 6:5a; 13:52; 2:4a, 17a, 33; 4:31; 13:9
Prayer: Lord, we worship You with all our heart, and we offer our thanksgiving and praise to You. Visit us day by day, and lead us moment by moment. We believe that You have called us out of our preoccupations and have gathered us into Your name for this meeting. We are meeting in Your precious, great, exalted, and rich name to enjoy You. Lord, come and visit us; touch every heart, open every spirit, and enlighten every mind so that we may hear with understanding and see a clear vision. Open the heavens to us. Give us a clear sky without any shadows, and remove our darkness. May Your Spirit fill this place and move in us.
Lord, we ask that You touch our deepest part so that we may know You, enjoy You, and be filled with You in our daily Christian life. Support our listening and our speaking. Give us instant utterance, and enable us to speak words that release You. Lord, dispense Yourself into us. We need You. Lord, we do not need religion, philosophy, doctrine, or mere words; we need You, the living God, the true and living Lord, and the Spirit who penetrates everything and is everywhere. May we gain You in this meeting, and may none of us go away empty-handed; rather, may we be satisfied. We give the glory to You. Shame Your enemy, and bless all of us who have called on You and are saved. In Your name we pray. Amen.
Salvation is different from religion and philosophy, including Chinese ethical philosophy. Salvation is God dwelling in the believers as their life. Religion and philosophy are merely knowledge and doctrine. They are the highest things in human culture, and religion is noble. Human history proves that philosophy, particularly Chinese ethical philosophy, is beneficial to society; however, both philosophy and religion differ from the gospel of God and His salvation. Although this salvation contains certain truths and explains certain doctrines, salvation involves a living person—the Triune God who was incarnated to be our Savior. Objectively, this Savior was crucified on our behalf to bear our sins and to accomplish redemption so that our sins may be forgiven by God. This point is widely preached in Christianity.
However, salvation has not only an objective aspect but also a subjective aspect. The New Testament speaks of the two “becomings” of the Triune God. The first is the Word becoming flesh, that is, the Triune God becoming flesh, partaking of blood and flesh (John 1:14; Heb. 2:14), and thus being able to go to the cross to die and accomplish redemption (John 19:30; 12, Heb. 9:22). Afterward, He was resurrected from the dead and became the life-giving Spirit. This is the second becoming. First Corinthians 15:45b says, “The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.” This is a crucial item that is neglected by Christianity. Christ is God becoming flesh; hence, Christ is also a man. As God yet man, He went to the cross to shed human blood in order to accomplish redemption and wash away our sins. After the cross He went into death, even into Hades, and remained there for three days and three nights, and then He came out. His coming out of death was His resurrection. In His resurrection there was a second becoming; that is, He became the life-giving Spirit.
Our Savior is Jesus Christ, the true God and our Lord. He is also the Spirit, the life-giving Spirit. As such, He can enter into our spirit. When He was in the flesh on earth, He was with the disciples, but He could only be among them; He could not enter into them. Therefore, He had to suffer death and be resurrected. Through His death and resurrection He was transfigured from the flesh into the Spirit, becoming the life-giving Spirit. When He returned to the disciples on the evening of the day of His resurrection, He breathed into them. When I read this portion of the Bible as a young man, I thought that Christ should have spoken extensively to His disciples concerning His death and resurrection: how He passed through death, took a tour of Hades, overcame death, was not held by death, and walked out of death and how in resurrection He is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. Yet surprisingly, in John 20 when Christ came to meet with His disciples after His resurrection, He spoke only a few words, mainly saying, “Peace be to you,” and then He breathed into them (vv. 19, 22). This sounds like a fairy tale; it does not seem appropriate for a classic writing, much less the teachings in the Holy Scriptures.
Prior to the Lord’s appearing, the disciples had been sorrowful for three days because their dearly beloved Lord, Jesus Christ, had been killed and buried in a tomb. They were exceedingly grieved and distressed. Although the doors were shut, the Lord suddenly stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” While the disciples were still in shock, He breathed into them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (v. 22). Breath and Spirit are two different words in English, but in Greek they are the same word. The anglicized form of this word is pneuma, and its adjectival form is pneumatic. The Greek word may be rendered as “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit” in English. In John 3 it is rendered as “Spirit” and “wind” (vv. 5, 8). The wind can be gentle for us to breathe, or it can be strong. After His resurrection the Lord Jesus came to His disciples and breathed into them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In other words, He breathed into them, saying, “Receive the Holy Pneuma.” It is correct to render this as “Receive the Holy Breath” because in Greek the word for spirit and for breath is the same.
The Lord Jesus is God, and God is Spirit. He became flesh, partaking of blood and flesh, and went to the cross to die on our behalf. However, He did not remain in death. He came out of death and entered into resurrection. In resurrection He was transfigured into pneuma. This word can be rendered as “spirit,” “air,” or “breath.” Hence, He is now the pneumatic Christ; He is the Spirit.
Bible readers know that the Scriptures often use visible, physical matters to describe invisible, mysterious, spiritual, and profound matters. It is difficult to understand a statement such as, “The atmosphere is filled with spirit.” However, we can understand a statement such as, “The atmosphere is filled with air.” There is air in this room, in my home, and even in me. We would die without air. The atmosphere, the air surrounding the earth, provides the earth with an environment that is suitable for every kind of life to grow. When man landed on the moon, there was no air there; therefore, there were no living things there as well. The air typifies our Savior, the incarnated God, who went through death and resurrection to become the mysterious breath, the Spirit, who is omnipresent. Romans 10:6-7 says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ that is, to bring Christ down; or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.” We do not need to say this, because Christ has already come down from heaven, and He has already come up out of Hades. He is the word that we proclaim, and this word “is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (v. 8). As the word, the Lord is like the air, the breath; He is near us, in our mouth and in our heart.
The Bible uses air to portray the incarnated God, who came to be our Savior in order to accomplish redemption and thereafter became the wonderful Spirit. This Spirit is the “air” in the universe. Without air, the universe cannot have life. Without our Savior, man is lifeless, for he lives in death. Our Savior is the air, the breath, and the Spirit. In John 7:39 the word the in the phrase the Spirit is an emphatic, definite article in the original language. “The Spirit” refers to the unique Spirit in the universe. Only this Spirit is the Spirit of life. Any other “spirit” cannot give life. Therefore, 1 Corinthians 15:45 says that the Lord became the life-giving Spirit, and Romans 8:2 says that He is the Spirit of life. The Spirit is God and Christ. When we say the Lord’s name, He immediately comes into us. His name denotes His person, which is the Spirit. Therefore, whenever we call on the name of the Lord Jesus, He comes to us immediately, because He is the Spirit.
Every believer has experienced calling on the Lord. We do not have to call loudly; we may also call softly. At night we may call softly so as not to disturb others. If we are in a convenient place, we may call with a loud voice. Our calling loudly is not for the Lord to hear us but for us to be released. A few days ago I had a cold, so the nurse taught me how to breathe deeply. In order to breathe deeply, we must use our diaphragm to inhale and to exhale. This is very beneficial. Calling on the Lord’s name is spiritual deep breathing that enables us to receive spiritual help. A brother who has lost his job and is not able to pay his rent may pray silently, “O Lord Jesus! I am miserable. I cannot find a job or pay the rent. Please help me.” This prayer is very good. I have frequently taught others to pray such a prayer. The Lord answers such prayers. However, the brother may not feel comforted afterward, because he did not meet the Lord and therefore has no joy. But if he prays loudly, “O Lord Jesus! I am really miserable! I have lost my job, and I cannot pay my rent. Don’t You care, Lord Jesus? O Lord Jesus!” Afterward, he will shed tears. When he prays in such a loud way, not only will the Lord hear him; he will be released, his sorrow will be turned into joy, and he will enjoy the Lord’s supply and consolation.
This does not mean that the Lord does not answer our silent prayers. As those who belong to Him, He knows that we have a problem even before we pray (Isa. 65:24). Therefore, in a sense, our prayer is unnecessary. The Lord said that we should not be anxious about what we will eat, what we will drink, or with what we will be clothed, for all these things the Gentiles are anxiously seeking. But our heavenly Father knows that we need all these things; hence, we need to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matt. 6:31-33). Normally, we do not think about His kingdom, nor are we concerned about His kingdom or His righteousness, but the Lord wants us to be concerned. Not only should we be concerned; we need to seek our Father’s kingdom and His righteousness. When He answers our prayer by giving us His kingdom and His righteousness, He also gives us something more, something supplemental—what we will eat and what we will drink—without our asking. This can be compared to buying a huge item in a store and receiving a free gift from the storeowner. From this perspective, we do not need to pray for our daily necessities.
However, we still need to pray for ourselves. I have experienced being in distress and having nowhere to turn, yet I called, “O Lord Jesus! I really thank You that You are with me.” Immediately, the Lord was with me. If we do not call on the Lord and pray to Him, we will not have inward peace. But once we call and pray, we will have peace and joy, even if the problem is still with us. Therefore, calling loudly is for our sake, not for His.
Furthermore, by calling loudly we shut the devil’s mouth. If we are not willing to call and pray, Satan will bother us and rule over our thoughts. At such a time we simply need to call “O Lord Jesus!” and chase the devil away! Hence, when we call on the Lord loudly, we are experiencing deep spiritual breathing, which enables us not only to touch and gain the Lord but also to be cleansed, to shut the devil’s mouth, and to have inner peace and joy.
Our Lord is not a doctrine, nor is He a religion; He is not knowledge, facts, or explanations. The purpose of doctrinal expositions and revelations of truth in the Scriptures is to show us a living person—Jesus Christ, the Lord of heaven and earth, the origin of the universe, and the Creator of all things. He became a man, died, was resurrected, and became the life-giving Spirit. He is waiting to be received by us. We should never think that it is difficult to believe in Jesus. On the contrary, it is easy to believe in Jesus because He is God, the Savior, and the Spirit. His name is Jesus. The Bible says that He is “rich to all who call upon Him; for ‘whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’” (Rom. 10:12-13). It may seem as if we cannot meet or touch the Lord, but we know His name. There is a name in the universe that is unique. History shows that the name of Jesus is extraordinary. Whenever we call on His name, we are richly supplied.
I know for a fact that many people who did not believe in the Lord after hearing the gospel were touched in their conscience on their deathbed; they felt that during their life they had done many wrong things toward their parents, spouse, children, relatives, and friends. Then before they breathed their last breath, they would recall the gospel that they had heard many years prior, call on the name of Jesus, and be saved. As believers, we can also testify that we often call on the name of Jesus and that as often as we call this name, He comes to us as the life-giving Spirit to give us life.
Many of us can testify that whenever we call on the name of the Lord Jesus, we are refreshed inwardly and filled with joy. When we feel lonely or homesick and call on the name of the Lord Jesus, we experience Him as our Companion. Regardless of how intimate a person is to us, he can never be so intimate that he enters into us. But whenever I call on the Lord, I immediately sense that He is in me. Whether or not I call, He is still in me. But without calling on Him, I do not sense His presence. As soon as I call, I sense His presence. We can call on Him at any time. We are not bothering Him. We sense His presence the moment we call “Lord Jesus!” When we do not call, we may feel quite lonely, but once we call, we have a Companion. Even when we feel miserable, our misery will disappear when we call on His name, and we will be joyful.
Paul says that we need to be sober-minded before others (2 Cor. 5:13). For this reason I do not call on the Lord’s name loudly in the presence of others. However, when I am alone in my bedroom, I call and leap with rejoicing. When I hear someone’s footsteps, I am sober. Therefore, no one knows that I was praying, skipping, and leaping with joy. Many other believers have had similar experiences. When we are sad or grieved, having no peace or rest, we need to pray, “O Lord Jesus! You know that I am suffering; I have nowhere to turn. Lord, You are compassionate and sympathetic.” Although we may doubt whether the Lord would answer such an informal prayer, we will immediately have peace and support, and we will also sense that He is bearing our pain.
The Lord’s word is made real by the Spirit. The Spirit is the word, and the word is the Spirit; both are one (John 6:63). We speak the Lord’s word, but when we receive His word, we receive the Spirit. What we speak to others is the word, but what they receive is the Spirit. What comes forth is the word, but what enters is the Spirit. Thus, the Spirit and the word are one. On the one hand, we have the name of Jesus on which we can call. On the other hand, we also have His word, which is the Spirit, the breath, and which is in our mouth and in our heart (Rom. 10:8).
The Lord is in us, and He also rules and regulates us. He tells us when to speak and when not to speak. We are very talkative; when we hear others gossiping about someone, we want to add a few words. But before we open our mouth to speak, the Lord Jesus will say, “Do not speak; that is gossiping.” Then our tongue will be bridled, and we will not be able to say a word. We will also sense the Lord’s inward presence. Then we can say, “Lord, thank You for being with me. Without Your inward regulating and correcting, my idle words would have been uttered.” This is an example of a practical experience of the Lord.
In order to experience the Lord as the Spirit dwelling in us, we must see that we are joined to the Lord as one spirit and that we need to always walk according to the spirit in every matter.
The Lord is now the Spirit, and every believer has a human spirit. When we believed in the Lord by calling on Him, confessing our sins, and repenting, He came into our spirit. From that day onward the Spirit and our human spirit have been mingled as one spirit. This matches what the Bible says: “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17). This is a precious word. Salvation is not only a person; it is a person who has come into us. I can proclaim with assurance and conviction that I am not by myself; Someone is with me. Every believer can say that the Spirit is mingled with his human spirit. The Spirit follows us wherever we go, and He is with us in every situation. This is the way that we can experience the Lord as the Spirit of life.
Since we are one spirit with the Lord, we should “not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit” (Rom. 8:4). It is not easy to read the Bible. We often read the Bible as if it were for others, and we rarely apply what we read to our own living. We may have read Romans 8:4 many times without experiencing it. In the Greek text the word but is emphatic. We should not walk merely according to the spirit; we should walk but according to the spirit. This is a most precious word. Our problem is that we know that the Lord is in us, that He is one spirit with us, and that we should walk according to the spirit, but we rarely walk according to the spirit. We do not walk according to the spirit ninety-five percent of the time. Those who have more growth in life might walk according to the spirit fifteen percent of the time. In two more years they may advance and walk according to the spirit twenty-five percent of the time, and after thirty years they may be able to walk according to the spirit seventy-five percent of the time. I have been a Christian for over sixty years, and although the percentage of time that I walk according to the spirit is higher than when I was young, it is still not sufficient, because according to the Lord’s Word, we should walk only according to the spirit. I occasionally joke with ones I am familiar with. However, every time I joke, the Lord rebukes me, saying, “What did you say? Why did you joke? You should use your lips, tongue, and teeth to speak for Me, not to tell jokes.” I am often rebuked in this way because it is difficult to drop these small habits.
Before I was saved, I enjoyed going to Chinese operas and playing soccer. Now, however, regardless of how much I am compelled, I will not watch Chinese opera or play soccer. These were “big balls” that were easy to abandon and overcome, but it is rather difficult to deal with “little balls.” Telling jokes is a little ball. We usually feel that it does not matter whether or not we play with this ball, because it is not a big ball. Afterward, however, we feel remorse and confess our mistake. We even make up our mind never to play with this little ball again. But after five minutes we begin to play with this ball again with another brother. This shows that we do not walk according to the spirit all the time. Walking according to the spirit can be compared to a chain with many links. It is not necessary for every link in the chain to be disconnected in order for the chain to be broken. A chain is broken when only one link is disconnected. Likewise, if we fail to walk according to the spirit even one percent of the time, our “chain” will be broken. If I tell a joke today but overcome in every other matter, in the evening I cannot say, “Lord, thank You that I lived an overcoming life.”
Sisters have a particularly difficult time overcoming the matter of shopping. Businessmen devote much time to studying the devilish tactics of how to stir up people’s emotions and attract their eyes. Hence, we should beware of department-store display windows. Once we glance at them, it is easy to be “hooked.” Many sisters who love the Lord have experienced being happy when buying something but then regretting afterward. There is a sister who bought a piece of expensive fabric and was happy. However, for a week after that she could not sleep well. Whenever she looked at the fabric, the Lord would tell her to give it to a needy sister. Although she struggled, she was eventually compelled by the Lord to give it away. Then she was released. Many of us have had similar experiences.
I have been giving messages for nearly sixty years, but I still make mistakes. Whenever I speak longer than necessary, a voice within tells me to stop speaking. Nearly every time after giving a message, I have to confess, “Lord, I have spoken unnecessary words again. Please forgive me.” Before giving a message, I always offer a prayer with a strong spirit, saying, “Lord, preserve me to be only Your mouthpiece, and keep me from speaking unnecessary words.” However, toward the end of a message I can become excited and speak in a joking way. This is to speak not according to the spirit. A person who speaks according to the spirit will not utter superfluous words. I have learned many lessons in this matter.
Being talkative is a common fault between husbands and wives. Because they are too familiar with one another, they tend to talk about everything and do not keep matters pertaining to others confidential. A wife will usually become unhappy because her husband talks too much. Those who are married are learning this lesson. I have been learning this lesson for sixty years. A husband knows that it is not easy to make his wife greet him with a smiling face. He must be very careful and refrain from sarcastic words and insinuating remarks; otherwise, his wife will get angry. Likewise, a wife should be careful. A husband can get angry because his wife says unnecessary things. We all have spoken too much and have thus provoked our spouse to anger. If we could be silent, we would be successful and overcoming. I dare not say that I have learned this matter, but I have learned a secret: Whenever the conversation becomes tense, I stop talking and call softly with a smile, “O Lord! O Lord!” In this way both parties are appeased. A believer who can walk according to the spirit in his married life is an overcomer. We all have this same problem and can sympathize with one another. It is difficult to walk according to the spirit.
It is good that the Spirit has entered into us, but this is also a problem because He troubles us. Marriage is wonderful because you gain a spouse, but marriage is also difficult because a spouse is also a problem. Some couples quarrel on their wedding day concerning whether the windows should be opened or closed at night. The husband cannot sleep with the windows closed, but the wife cannot sleep with the windows opened. Who should give in? As believers, we have an advantage because the Spirit is in us as our supply and consolation. However, we also have a problem because He never gives in and always interferes with the things in our daily life, both great and small. He requires us to walk only by the spirit, not according to anything else. The word but is a severe restriction to us.
Many saints walk according to the spirit in many things except in the matter of their hairstyle. Brothers, do you comb your hair according to the spirit? Sisters, can you tell the Lord that your hairstyle and hair adornment are according to the spirit? I doubt that many sisters can say that their hairstyle is according to the spirit. Some arrange their hair like a high tower. Many women wear their hair so that it is difficult to tell whether they are a male or a female. The Bible says that a woman should not cut her hair too short (1 Cor. 11:15). God does not like indistinctness between males and females. He wants women to adorn themselves as females and men to express themselves as males so as to avoid confusion. The sisters should be careful when they go to a beauty parlor; it is difficult for people to be according to the spirit in such a place. I will never go to a luxurious and fashionable place to get a haircut. I go only to simple and ordinary places.
If we would walk only according to the spirit, we will be filled inwardly with the Spirit daily. Immediately after I was saved, I read numerous spiritual books, most of which were published in England. These books said that the infilling of the Spirit is a very difficult yet great matter. It is indeed a great matter for sinners to be filled with the Spirit. The books I read said that the first blessing a sinner receives is regeneration and that the second blessing is being filled with the Spirit. After many years, however, I discovered that these two matters are great but not difficult.
Recently, I spoke concerning three items of truth: regeneration, the inward filling of the Spirit, and the outward filling of the Spirit. I pointed out that these matters are miraculous yet normal. Hence, I coined the term “miraculous normality” to indicate that these normal things are also miraculous. Moody said that regeneration is the greatest miracle in the universe. Is it not a great miracle that a filthy, defiled, and vile sinner is able to receive God’s life and be regenerated to become a son of God? A person does not need to roll on the floor remorsefully, moaning, “Lord, I am a sinner, but I no longer want to be a sinner; I want to be a son of God,” before God will respond. Rather, a person needs only to say, “Lord, I am a sinner; thank You for dying for me,” and he is saved immediately. Hence, regeneration is a great miracle, yet it is very normal.
To be filled with the Spirit is a great miracle, but it is also normal. Because we are one spirit with the Lord, we should exercise daily to walk according to the spirit. Even though we might not be able to walk according to the Spirit a hundred percent of the time, we should aspire to advance daily. Our being filled with the Spirit depends on our walking according to our human spirit. Let us use an illustration. Although a vessel that is nearly filled with water is surrounded by air, it can contain only a small amount of air. If the vessel is emptied of some water, it can be filled with more air. The more the water is poured out, the more the vessel can be filled with air. When the vessel is completely emptied of water, the vessel will be filled with air. Hence, it is not difficult to be filled with the Spirit; it depends on how much we are willing to be emptied. When I was younger, I was taught that it is very difficult to be filled with the Spirit. A person needs to fast, to pray, and to fulfill many other requirements. Hence, I exhausted myself and exerted much effort, but I was unable to be filled with the Spirit. Now I have experience, and I realize that we do not need to exert any effort to be filled with the Spirit. This is a miraculously normal experience. We need only to confess our sins, live according to the spirit, and walk according to the spirit, and then we will be filled spontaneously with the Spirit. For example, when I go to get a haircut, the Spirit within me tells me how long my hair should be. My hair is short not because I do not like long hair; rather, my hair is not long because the Spirit within me does not want my hair to be long. This is to walk according to the spirit, and the result is that we are filled with the Spirit.
It is not easy for brothers to wear neckties according to the spirit. My hometown was conservative, and people were criticized for speaking English and for wearing Western suits. For this reason I did not wear a Western suit until I was invited to visit the church in Manila in 1950. At that time it was difficult for me to wear a necktie. The Philippines is in a tropical region; therefore, most of the suits given to me by the brothers were white. It is difficult to find suitable ties for white suits. If I wore the ties given to me by the saints, I would be doing a necktie show instead of giving a message. Wearing neckties according to the spirit is a difficult matter. Three years ago a brother gave me a necktie that had fine red stripes. Others might say that the necktie is okay, but the Spirit within me did not allow me to wear it. I still wear ties that are plain and without stripes or lines, because I feel comfortable wearing them.
It may not be easy to walk according to the spirit, but we have to practice. The extent to which we walk according to the spirit is the extent to which we will be filled with the Spirit. Just like a cup must be emptied of water in order to be filled with air, so we must be emptied every day in order to be filled with the Spirit. When we are completely empty, we will be completely filled with the Spirit. This is not a difficult matter. The Lord has already accomplished redemption and has resurrected to become the life-giving Spirit. Now He is waiting to fill us. Just as air surrounds the cup and is also within the cup, so the Spirit surrounds us and is in us. As soon as we are emptied, He will fill us within. It is not difficult for Him to fill us; the hindrance is that we are not emptied.
Although being filled with the Spirit is not difficult, it is a great miracle. The Spirit is Christ, who is the embodiment of God (Col. 2:9), and He has entered into us. Not only so, He desires to dwell in us (John 15:5) and to make home in our hearts (Eph. 3:17). The Greek word for make home is kata, meaning “to enter deeply.” When I travel, I am often received by the saints. Sometimes my host says, “This is your room.” I dare not use any other room, because I do not have the right to do so. However, when I am in my home, I have the right to put my belongings in any room according to my preference. This is what it means to make home. Even if I were to stay in a home as a guest for one year, I still would not be able to make my home there, because I am not the host. Only the host has such a right.
Christ is in us, but is He a guest or the host? Our heart has many parts: the conscience, the mind, the emotion, and the will. Our mind is a room, our emotion is another room, and our will is still another room. Sometimes we allow Christ to occupy only a part of our mind, not our whole mind. Sometimes we do not allow Him to occupy our emotions, and at other times we do not allow Him to occupy our will. This compels Him to remain in our spirit. As a result, instead of making His home in us, He is imprisoned. He wants to enter this room, but we do not allow Him; He wants to enter that room, but we disagree. Hence, He can remain only in our spirit; He is not allowed to enter into the other parts of our being. For this reason we have no way to be filled with the Spirit.
Although I have been a Christian for many years, I dare not say that all the rooms of my being—my conscience, my mind, my emotion, and my will—have been occupied by the Lord Jesus, but I can say that He has occupied much of my being. Christ should not be a guest or a prisoner in us; rather, He should be the Host who can settle down and make His home in us. According to Ephesians 3:19, the result of Christ making His home in our hearts is that we will be filled unto all the fullness of God. This means that if we would let Him gain ground in us, He will fill us. As God’s vessels, we should be filled with only God (Rom. 9:23). Some vessels have been damaged and are filled with sand and clay. Other vessels are somewhat better and are filled with gold. Suppose we are vessels filled with gold. Would we still be willing to be fully emptied? When we are emptied, the Spirit will fill us. Perhaps we would say, “Lord, if I were filled with filthy things or with vinegar or oil, I would be willing to be emptied and cleansed so that You could fill me. However, I am filled with gold and with jewels, which I treasure. Please let me keep them.” We can choose not to be emptied, but then we will not be filled with God. In order to be filled with God, we must be emptied of everything, including what is worthless and what is valuable.
Hence, it is not difficult to be filled with the Spirit; rather, it is as easy as filling a vessel with air. It depends on whether or not we are willing to be emptied by giving up the things that we love. The sisters are reluctant to let go of purchasing items on sale every Saturday. If they continue to fill themselves with unnecessary sale items, they will not have room for the Spirit to fill them. If instead of going shopping they would be willing to pray for ten minutes to be strengthened inwardly and to be emptied of themselves, they would be filled with the Spirit. The young people are reluctant to give up the worldly way of styling their hair, which is according to fashion. If they were willing to give it up, they would be filled with the Spirit. It is very difficult for the brothers to choose a necktie. A brother who loves the Lord and desires to be used by the Lord may need to change his necktie in order to be useful. Being filled with the Spirit is rather easy, but it depends on whether we are willing to be emptied. Once we are emptied, we will be filled with the Spirit.
On the one hand, it is difficult to be filled with the Spirit, but on the other hand, it is easy. Ephesians 5:18-20 says that when we are filled with the Spirit, we will give thanks and praise. According to my experience, thanking and praising are, on the one hand, the issue of being filled with the Spirit and, on the other hand, the way to be filled with the Spirit. It is not easy for sisters to style their hair according to the spirit. It is difficult for them not to follow the fashion of the world when they go to the beauty parlor. However, if they would be willing to thank and praise the Lord while they are in the beauty parlor, saying, “Lord Jesus, I thank You and praise You; You are wonderful, and You are so lovely!” they would be filled with the Spirit. In other words, if we can pray, we will be emptied of the unnecessary things in us. The more we pray in this way, the more we will be filled with the Spirit. Therefore, it is not hard to be filled with the Spirit, because we have a Lord who is worthy to be praised. As we praise Him, appreciate Him, and admire Him, we will spontaneously worship Him. This will help us to let go of and to be emptied of all our preferences and choices. As a result of being emptied, we will be filled with the Spirit.
The result of being filled with the Holy Spirit is to have joy within. Acts 13:52 says, “The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit always comes with joy. Furthermore, we will have peace (9:31); we will be calm, without complaints or murmuring, and there will not be any resistance in us. The reason we murmur, complain, and are full of resistance is that we are not filled with the Spirit. If we would be filled with the Spirit, everything within us will be calm, and we will not be affected by any outward turmoil. Regardless of how our outward circumstances change, we will remain calm and enjoy the Lord’s presence.
The Triune God as life is related to the believers’ meetings and service. This is the proper way for us to meet and to serve. We are qualified to meet and to serve because the Triune God indwells us, His Spirit and our human spirit are joined as one spirit, we can walk according to the spirit in everything, and we can be filled with the Spirit.
Such a qualification is not required in Christianity. Many years ago I was led by the Lord to begin meeting as the church in my home with the breaking of bread. At that time, one of my former schoolmates who lived nearby saw what I was doing and decided that since I could break bread at home, he also could break bread at home. Eventually, he used the same table to eat breakfast in the morning, break bread at noon, and play mah-jongg in the evening. Not only so, in Christianity couples who have quarreled severely at home will also go to the Sunday worship and offer money.
The meetings in the Lord’s recovery need the qualification of life. In the meetings we must exercise to function by calling on the Lord, singing hymns, praying, and prophesying. If we quarrel with our spouse five minutes before the meeting, we will not be able to open our mouth to sing, pray, or prophesy. Therefore, this way requires that we overcome and are revived.
Likewise, the service in the Lord’s recovery requires the qualification of life. It is easy to invite people to come and hear the gospel or to attend a love feast. However, to visit people in their homes or to preach the gospel by knocking on doors requires that we pay a price. If we do not pay a price, even if someone opens the door to us, we will be “deflated” persons, without the Spirit, and our effort will be wasted because we will not be able to speak with power. In order to speak with the Spirit and with power, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit, which requires us to pay a price.
Only when we take the Triune God as our life can we have proper meetings and service. If we do not have such a life and living, we will not be qualified to meet or to serve. If I were sick with tuberculosis, a stomach ulcer, or other ailments, it would be impossible for me to compete in the Olympics. The athletes who compete in the Olympics are restricted in many matters, including their diet and sleep. This is the only way that they can build up a healthy body and be qualified to compete in the games. Christianity is desolate and weak because the believers are sick. Even in the Lord’s recovery we have not been freed of this sickness. Hence, when we meet, most of the believers are silent, and we have no way to maintain the meetings without a speaker. This kind of situation necessitates big meetings with one person speaking and the rest listening. On the one hand, such meetings can supply and edify people, but on the other hand, after a prolonged period this way of meeting will annul the organic function of the saints.
A new believer is like a newborn babe whose organs are complete. Even though he is small, he has the senses of hearing, seeing, and smelling and the ability to move. However, he needs exercise in order to develop. A baby whose eyes are kept covered will not be able to see after ten years. If he is not allowed to walk, he will not be able to walk after ten years. The organic functions in a human being need to be developed through exercise. The worship service in Christianity annuls rather than develops the organic function of the believers. The way of one man speaking and the rest listening may provide a long-term supply, edification, and teaching, and it may be used to maintain the situation. However, after meeting in this way for five years, a believer’s organic function will be annulled. Such meetings are not according to the Bible. The Bible says that when believers meet, they should testify for the Lord (1 Cor. 14:26). Whenever they meet, they should learn to speak. A mother teaches her child by helping the child to practice speaking. When a child learns to speak, he must learn to exercise his ears, because he cannot learn to speak without the ability to hear. This kind of instruction is for development. We have been enlightened to see that if we desire to take the way of the Lord’s recovery, we must practice accordingly. This requires us to be filled with the Spirit, that is, to be filled with God, in our spirit and to let Christ make home in our hearts. We will then be filled with the fullness of God, and our meetings and service will be full of the riches of God.
When we speak of being filled inwardly with the Spirit, we must also mention being filled outwardly with the Spirit. The Greek word for the inner filling of the Spirit is different from that for the outward filling of the Spirit. Pouring water into a cup is inward filling, and putting the cup into the water is outward filling. In 1936 I wrote an article entitled “The Work of the Holy Spirit.” In this article I referred to the work of the Holy Spirit in three steps: regeneration, inward filling, and outward filling. At that time I coined the term “outward filling,” that is, being filled outwardly. The Spirit is not only in us but also upon us. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit entered into the disciples and was poured upon the disciples. Acts 2:33 says, “Having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you both see and hear.” This pouring out is like being baptized, which is outward. When we drink water, we are filled with water inwardly. When we are baptized, we are immersed into the water. Drinking water is to be filled with water, and being baptized is to be enveloped with water. This kind of outward filling is for power, not for life.
Verse 31 of chapter 4 says, “When [the disciples] had so besought, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit when he went forth to preach the gospel, that is, when it became necessary for him to preach the word (13:9). The outward filling of the Spirit is for the believers to be empowered. I believe that I have the infilling of the Spirit as well as the outward filling of the Spirit while I am speaking the word, because I have the boldness, utterance, and strength to release my burden. I also believe that when I am outwardly filled, others are filled as well. This is the outward filling. This is not a matter of life but a matter of power. It is for our work and our service.
